This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Heat presses for heat and pressure printing and transfer applications typically include a lower platen and an upper platen that is generally above the lower platen and configured to press down on the lower platen. Typically, a work piece (e.g. fabric or garment) and a heat-activated article (e.g. letters, logos, images, graphics) are positioned on the lower platen while the upper platen is separated from the lower platen. Once the work piece and article are properly positioned, the upper platen is moved vertically down over the lower platen to sandwich the work piece and article between the upper and lower platens. One or both of the platens typically contains a heating element and the platens are configured to apply a preset amount of heat and pressure to the work piece and article for a predetermined amount of time (i.e. cure time). After the cure time is completed, the upper platen is lifted up so that the operator can remove the finished product. When multiple products are to be produced, or when larger work pieces have more than one heat-activated article located in different locations of the work piece, the operator must remove the product of the first application and then position the next work piece (or re-position the original work piece) and the next heat-activated article on the lower platen.
Positioning the work piece and the article requires time and care to ensure accurate positioning. For example, the operator may need to measure distances on each individual work piece in order to position the articles, or may need to change out the lower platen for a different lower platen having a different shape or orientation. During the time that an operator is positioning the work piece and article, the heat press is otherwise inactive and during the cure time, the operator is unable to otherwise prepare the heat press for the next product. These down-times for the heat press and the operator can increase the overall production times and costs. In order to reduce overall production time, operators typically must use a second heat press, which can be costly and take up additional shop space. Furthermore, such heat presses can be large and heavy. Thus they are typically limited to a single, stationary location within a shop due to the difficulty in moving the heat press.